Disney Aspire is the educational and career development program created just for Disney Cast Members that covers 100% coverage for tuition costs. The program enables more than 80,000 part-time and full-time Cast Members and Walt Disney Company employees to pursue higher education through a variety of programs and institutions, and the latest college to join the program is HBCU (Historically Black College/University), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T).
The newest addition to the Disney Aspire lineup will enable Cast Members to work toward online Bachelor’s and Master’s programs with a number of concentrations and subject areas including everything from information technology to economics, and more.
Harold L. Martin, Sr., Chancellor of North Carolina A&T shared his thoughts on the collaboration with Disney Aspire saying, “We are committed to bettering the futures of our students, and Disney shares in that mission through Disney Aspire. We Aggies are a family, and we know that tight-knit community feel also exists at Disney. This couldn’t be a more natural-fitting partnership.”
The school has long been praised as one of the top HBCUs by U.S. News & World Report, and in addition to its notoriety and new offerings for Disney Cast Members, the addition of an HBCU in the program is another step forward in Disney’s inclusivity initiatives. In addition to adding Inclusivity as Disney’s fifth key, the company has been focused on retaining and developing Black employees.
Latondra Newton, chief diversity officer for The Walt Disney Company, said “It is an honor to add North Carolina A&T to our Disney Aspire program, which helps employees advance their careers. This is also a monumental Aggie pride milestone for many of our employees who are North Carolina A&T alumni.”
With 12,000 employees currently enrolled in Disney Aspire programs, the 100% up-front paid tuition has become one of the major perks of working for the Walt Disney Company. In addition to the tuition payments, Disney Aspire covers reimbursements for required books and fees, as well as coaching for students and access to further career growth benefits in the Disney Aspire Alumni Association.
If you are a Disney Cast Member looking to learn more about the program (or perhaps you are interested in becoming a Disney Cast Member) complete information is available at Aspire.Disney.com.